HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., April 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears Holdings has been named a 2017 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award winner for continued leadership in protecting our environment through superior energy efficiency achievements. Sears Holdings' accomplishments will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., on April 26, 2017.

Sears Holdings, an ENERGY STAR partner since 1998, will be honored for long-term commitment to energy efficiency. The company's related accomplishments in 2016 included:

Energy Savings: Sears Holdings continues to have success year-over-year in reducing its energy consumption. In 2016, the company's total weather normalized source energy usage decreased by over 2.3 billion kBtu, and the average weather normalized source energy intensity declined to 108.1 kBtu/sqft; both represent more than 8 percent reductions compared to 2015. In addition, Sears Holdings has reduced electricity usage by more than 746 million kWh since 2008. This is the equivalent of powering 77,468 homes or taking 110,815 cars off the road for one year.

Product Selection: Sears' Kenmore brand introduced new ENERGY STAR certified products in many categories in 2016, again receiving numerous Best Buy designations from a leading consumer publication. The brand partnered with ENERGY STAR in 2016 in introducing Kenmore branded televisions. "Connected Living" continues to evolve and grow at Sears Holdings. Additionally, Sears introduced and promoted ENERGY STAR certified Kenmore smart room air conditioners and water heaters at The Connected Solutions interactive shops inside Sears stores. Sears' Lighting team also continues to pursue active partnerships with utility program sponsors and enhanced its lighting portfolio to include more ENERGY STAR certified LED lightbulbs.

Training: Sears conducted its Home Appliance business sales associate product training road show in 2016 to educate its associates on ENERGY STAR. Additionally, Sears' utility partners and the EPA participated in these sessions.

Marketing: In 2016, Sears continued to leverage its digital and social media assets as a communication tool to speak to its sustainability and energy efficiency messages. Additionally, Sears released its annual Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability report and prominently highlighted its partnership with EPA ENERGY STAR and the benefits of ENERGY STAR certified products.

Partnership: Sears Holdings' collaborative relationship with more than 60 utility partners helps differentiate its efforts to reduce energy consumption through the promotion of ENERGY STAR certified products. Sears optimizes these relationships to help drive traffic to its stores, drive program success and support awareness of the ENERGY STAR brand. In 2016, Sears also supported the ENERGY STAR Retail Products Platform business model and the launch of the national pilot with nine participating utilities.

"We truly value Sears Holdings' partnership with ENERGY STAR and are honored to receive the Partner of the Year Award for the eighth consecutive year in Retail and sixth consecutive year in Energy Management," said Mark Semisch, Chief Compliance Officer for Sears Holdings. "We remain committed to continuing our work to help increase energy efficiency and to protect the environment through our dedicated efforts."

In 2015 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners saved American businesses and consumers 503 billion kilowatt hours and $34 billion dollars on their energy bills, while achieving broad emission reductions.

The 2017 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Awards are bestowed upon a diverse set of organizations that have demonstrated continued leadership in energy efficiency. Winners hail from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 organizations representing energy-efficient products, services, new homes and buildings in the commercial, industrial and public sectors.

About Sears Holdings Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is a leading integrated retailer focused on seamlessly connecting the digital and physical shopping experiences to serve our members – wherever, whenever and however they want to shop. Sears Holdings is home to Shop Your Way®, a social shopping platform offering members rewards for shopping at Sears and Kmart as well as with other retail partners across categories important to them. The company operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation, with full-line and specialty retail stores across the United States. For more information, visit www.searsholdings.com.

About ENERGY STARENERGY STAR has 16,000 partners working to protect the environment through greater energy efficiency, including manufacturers, retailers, public schools, hospitals, real estate companies, and home builders. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have saved American families and businesses $430 billion on their energy bills and 4.6 trillion kilowatt-hours of energy, while achieving broad emissions reductions—including 2.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

ENERGY STAR® is the simple choice for energy efficiency. For 25 years, EPA's ENERGY STAR program has been America's resource for saving energy and protecting the environment. Join the millions already making a difference at energystar.gov.